Power Converters and Methods for Protecting Power Converters

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17/651,572 filed February 17, 2022, entitled “POWER CONVERTERS AND METHODS FOR PROTECTING POWER CONVERTERS,” which claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/165,519, filed on March 24, 2021, entitled “BATTERY MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE,” which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

The present disclosure generally relates to power electronic devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to DC-DC power converters.

Many electronic products, particularly mobile computing and/or communication products and components (e.g., notebook computers, ultra-book computers, tablet devices, LCD and LED displays), require multiple voltage levels. For example, radio frequency transmitter power amplifiers may require relatively high voltages (e.g., 12V or more), and logic circuitry may require a low voltage level (e.g., 1-2V). Some other circuitry may require an intermediate voltage level (e.g., 5-10V). Power converters are often used to generate a lower or higher voltage from a common power source, such as a battery, in order to meet the power requirements of different components in electronic products.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power converter. The power converter includes a first and a second terminal, a charge pump power conversion circuit, and a protection circuit. The first terminal is to receive an input voltage. The second terminal is to output an output voltage. The charge pump power conversion circuit is electrically coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, and to convert the input voltage to the output voltage. The protection circuit is electrically coupled to the charge pump power conversion circuit. The protection circuit includes a first switching device to, in response to a control signal, block a power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal, and from the second terminal to the first terminal.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power converter. The power converter includes a controller, and a switched-capacitor network. The controller is to implement a deadtime interval based, at least in part on one or more timing signals, and to output a control signal in response to a detection of a fault, to block a power flow in either direction between a first terminal of the power converter and a second terminal of the power converter. The switched-capacitor network is electrically coupled to the controller and to convert a first voltage at the first terminal to a second voltage at the second terminal. The switched-capacitor network includes a plurality of switches to switch between a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein the controller controls the plurality of switches to connect a plurality of capacitors to form a first capacitor network in the first configuration, and to form a second capacitor network in the second configuration.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power converter. The power converter includes a power conversion circuit, two or more switching circuits, and one or more detecting circuits. The power conversion circuit includes a first, second, and third terminals, and to convert a first voltage received from at least one of the first, second, and third terminals to a second voltage outputted at least of one of the first, second, third terminals of the power converter. Two or more switching circuits are electrically coupled to the power conversion circuit and to provide or block a bidirectional current path between one of the first, second, and third terminals and another one of the first, second, and third terminals according to a control signal in response to a fault. The one or more detecting circuits are electrically coupled to the one of the first, second, and third terminals and to detect whether the fault occurs.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for protecting a charge pump power converter that receives a first voltage from a first terminal and provides a second voltage on a second terminal. The method includes: converting, by the charge pump power converter, the first voltage to the second voltage; and in response to a control signal, blocking, by a protection circuit electrically coupled to the charge pump power conversion circuit, a power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal and from the second terminal to the first terminal.

Additional features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be set forth in part in the following description, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the embodiments. The features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments may be realized and attained by the elements and combinations set forth in the claims.

The following disclosure provides many different exemplary embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the provided subject matter. Specific simplified examples of components and arrangements are described below to explain the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art and in the specific context where each term is used. The use of examples in this specification, including examples of any terms discussed herein, is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification.

Although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the embodiments. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature’s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

In this document, the term “coupled” may also be termed as “electrically coupled”, and the term “connected” may be termed as “electrically connected”. “Coupled” and “connected” may also be used to indicate that two or more elements cooperate or interact with each other.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with respect to embodiments in a specific context, namely a charge pump circuit. As used in this disclosure, the term “charge pump” refers to a switched-capacitor network configured to convert an input voltage to an output voltage. Examples of such charge pumps include cascade multiplier, Dickson, Ladder, Series-Parallel, Fibonacci, and Doubler switched-capacitor networks, all of which may be configured as a multi-phase or a single-phase network.

The concepts in the disclosure may also apply, however, to other types of power converters. Power converters which convert a higher input voltage power source to a lower output voltage level are commonly known as step-down or buck converters, because the converter is “bucking” the input voltage. Power converters which convert a lower input voltage power source to a higher output voltage level are commonly known as step-up or boost converters, because the converter is “boosting” the input voltage. In addition, some power converters, commonly known as “buck-boost converters,” may be configured to convert the input voltage power source to the output voltage with a wide range, in which the output voltage may be either higher than or lower than the input voltage. In various embodiments, a power converter may be bi-directional, being either a step-up or a step-down converter depending on how a power source is connected to the converter. In some embodiments, an AC-DC power converter can be built up from a DC-DC power converter by, for example, first rectifying an AC input voltage to a DC voltage and then applying the DC voltage to a DC-DC power converter.

Voltage ratings of electrical components, such as capacitors, inductors, and/or transistors, within the power converter may be selected according to actual needs. However, under fault conditions, the input voltage may increase rapidly and suddenly, which can cause the electrical components to experience temporary over-voltage stress that results in damages to the power electronic devices. In other words, a fault may generate conditions where electrical components are subjected to current and/or voltage conditions that fall outside their designed and/or permitted range. Such conditions can cause components to fail or create an electrical hazard (e.g., high temperatures, arcing, electrical fires). It is therefore desirable to limit electrical components’ exposure to fault conditions, for example, for device robustness and longevity as well as safety concerns. In some cases, a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) may be used as a protection switch to block undesired power flow when a fault occurs. However, the MOSFET device may only achieve one-way blocking to prevent power flowing from a voltage source to a load. That is, a MOSFET device alone may be unable to prevent the energy stored in the load side from flowing back to the voltage source, due to the current path provided by its intrinsic body-diode. When an input under-voltage fault or an output over-voltage fault occurs, undesired current may reversely flow back from the load to the voltage source and cause damages to the power conversion circuit.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more bidirectional power switches may be applied as part of the protection mechanism for the charge pump circuit. The bidirectional power switch can block the current in both directions to provide better protection when a fault condition occurs, and prevent potential damages to the electrical components in the power converter.

1 FIG. 1 FIG. 100 100 110 120 130 140 100 130 110 120 110 112 102 120 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary power converter, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in, the power convertermay include a protection circuit, a charge pump power conversion circuit, a controllerand one or more detecting circuits. In some embodiments, the power converterincludes a clock (not shown) to generate one or more timing signals. The controllermay implement a deadtime interval based, at least in part on the one or more timing signals generated by the clock. The protection circuitmay be electrically coupled to the charge pump power conversion circuit. In some embodiments, the protection circuitmay include a switching devicebetween a first terminal(e.g., an input terminal configured to receive an input voltage Vin) and the power conversion circuit(e.g., at a node N).

1 FIG. 120 0 4 1 4 120 102 112 1 4 1 4 In the embodiments shown in, the charge pump power conversion circuitmay be a Dickson charge pump using a switching network having switches SW-SW, and SWA-SWD to control the connection of the supply voltage across the load through capacitors C-C. Particularly, the charge pump power conversion circuitmay be configured to step-down or step-up the input voltage Vin received from the first terminalvia the switching devicein an ON condition, by storing a portion or multiples of the input voltage Vin across capacitors C-C. Each capacitor C-Cmay help create an intermediate voltage during part of the operating cycle. As the magnitude of the transformation increases, the number of capacitors used in the charge pump increases.

0 4 1 4 0 4 1 4 0 4 0 4 130 0 4 130 130 0 4 The switches SW-SW, SWA-SWD may be used to re-arrange the capacitors C-Cinto different configurations. In some embodiments, the switches SW-SW, and SWA-SWD are configured to switch between two different configurations. Accordingly, capacitors C-Ccan form a first capacitor network in response to the first configuration of the switches SW-SW, and SWA-SWD, and can form a second capacitor network in response to the second configuration of the switches SW-SW, and SWA-SWD. In some embodiments, the controllercontrols and sequences transitions of the switches SW-SW, and SWA-SWD based on a timing signal received by the controllerin such a way as to incorporate any necessary deadtime or clock phase needed. For example, the controllermay implement a deadtime interval during the transition, to prevent all switches SW-SW, and SWA-SWD from conducting simultaneously when switching between the first configuration and the second configuration.

1 FIG. 10 5 In, an exemplary Dickson charge pump in a 5:1 (step-down) configuration (or 1:5—step-up—if the power flow is reversed) is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to such a ratio or type of conversion circuit. In various embodiments, the step-down or step-up configurations can be applied to all possible charge pump ratios. For example, in other embodiments, the Dickson charge pump may also be in a 2:1 configuration, with the input voltage Vin ofV and the output voltage Vout ofV.

0 2 4 1 3 4 0 2 4 1 3 4 During a first operation stage, switches SW, SW, SW, SWB, and SWC are on, while remaining switches SW, SW, SW, SWA and SWD are off in the first configuration. The first voltage label on each node indicates the voltage value of the node during the first operation stage. During a second operation stage, switches SW, SW, SW, SWB, and SWC are off, while remaining switches SW, SW, SW, SWA and SWD are on in the second configuration. The second voltage label on each node indicates the voltage value of the node during the second operation stage.

0 4 120 4 20 1 FIG. By controlling the switches SW-SW, SWA-SWD switching between the first and the second configurations in different operation stages, the charge pump power conversion circuitmay achieve the voltage conversion to output an output voltage Vout at a desired level (e.g., aroundV) in response to the input voltage Vin at a normal operating level (e.g., aroundV). It would be appreciated that voltage values provided in the embodiments ofare merely examples to aid understanding of this disclosure. In various embodiments, the number of switches and capacitors in the charge pump, the voltage ratings of the switches and the capacitors, the input voltage Vin, and the output voltage Vout may be designed based on practical needs for different applications.

120 104 104 Accordingly, the power conversion circuitmay output, via its output node, the output voltage Vout to a second terminal, which may be an output terminal configured to output the output voltage Vout to the next stage circuit, such as a regulator circuit, a filtering circuit, or a load, connected to the second terminal.

1 FIG. 20 102 0 4 120 As shown in, each stage in the Dickson charge-pump sees a small fraction of the total voltage (e.g.,V) at the high voltage side of the charge-pump. Accordingly, it is possible to use devices with a relatively lower voltage rating to improve the efficiency. However, under the circumstance that the high-voltage side, such as the input voltage Vin from the first terminal, rises rapidly and suddenly, the low-voltage switches SW-SW, SWA-SWD within the charge pump power conversion circuitmay experience temporary over-voltage stress that can result in damages to the power devices, which may occur during transient or fault conditions.

0 4 1 4 120 130 110 112 102 120 To protect the switches SW-SW, SWA-SWD and the capacitors C-Cfrom being exposed to voltages in excess of their breakdown voltages to prevent faulty circuit operations or damages to the power conversion circuit, the controllercan output a corresponding control signal CS to the protection circuitin response to a fault signal FS. For example, in various embodiments, the fault signal FS may include an input under-voltage signal, an input over-voltage signal, an output under-voltage signal, an output over-voltage signal, a thermal shutdown signal, an input or output over-current signal, a timeout signal, or a charge pump capacitor under-voltage or over-voltage signal, or any other fault signal(s) FS indicating an undesired fault condition. Accordingly, in response to the control signal CS, the switching deviceis configured to disconnect the current path between the first terminaland the input node of the power conversion circuit.

140 130 130 140 In some embodiments, the fault signal FS indicating the abnormal fault condition may be generated by one or more detecting circuitselectrically coupled to the controller. Operations of the controllerand the detecting circuit(s)will be explained in detail with accompanying drawings later.

102 120 102 104 120 102 102 104 As mentioned above, when a single p-type Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (PMOS) or a single n-type Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (NMOS) is used as the protection switch between the first terminaland the power conversion circuit, the PMOS or the NMOS device can only prevent power flowing from the voltage source (e.g., the first terminal) to the load (e.g., the second terminal), but is unable to prevent the energy stored in the load side from flowing back to the voltage source, due to the intrinsic body-diode of the PMOS or NMOS device. The intrinsic body-diode provides a current path for the reverse power flow from the power conversion circuitto the first terminal. Therefore, the PMOS or NMOS device only blocks the power flow from the first terminalto the second terminal, but not the power flow in the opposite direction. Alternatively stated, the PMOS or the NMOS device can only block the power flow in one direction.

120 102 120 100 When an input under-voltage fault or an output over-voltage fault occurs, the undesired current may reversely flow back from the power conversion circuitto the first terminal, and may potentially cause damages to the devices within the power conversion circuit, or damages to devices within a previous stage (e.g., an AC-DC converter or a DC power source) connected to the power converter.

102 112 112 130 102 104 104 102 110 112 112 110 100 120 100 In order to prevent the current from flowing back to the first terminal, in some embodiments, the switching devicemay be a bidirectional disconnection switch. Particularly, the switching deviceis configured to, in response to a control signal CS from the controller, block a power flow from the first terminal(e.g., an input terminal configured to receive an input voltage Vin) to the second terminal(e.g., an output terminal configured to output an output voltage Vout), and also block the power flow from the second terminalto the first terminal. Alternately stated, the protection circuitcan support bidirectional current flow when the switching deviceis in the ON condition, and support bidirectional voltage blocking when the switching deviceis turned OFF. Because the protection circuitblocks the current path in both directions, components in a previous stage (e.g., “upstream” components) before the power converter, components in the power conversion circuit, and components in a next stage (e.g., “downstream” components) after the power convertercan be protected from damages under the transient or fault conditions.

2 FIG. 2 FIG. 100 140 140 140 130 100 100 140 140 140 130 a b c a b c is a block diagram illustrating the power converter, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in, in some embodiments, each of detecting circuit(s),, andmay be electrically connected to the controller, and electrically connected to a proper node within the power converterto detect voltage signal(s), current signal(s) or other signals within the power converter. Accordingly, the detecting circuit(s),, andmay be configured to output the fault signal FS to the controllerbased on these signals.

140 130 102 140 130 120 1 120 140 130 104 140 140 140 140 140 140 a b c a b c a b c For example, the detecting circuitmay be coupled between the controllerand the first terminaland configured to detect whether the input voltage Vin across an input capacitor Cin and/or the input current is within the proper range. The detecting circuitmay be coupled between the controllerand the input node of the power conversion circuitand configured to detect whether the voltage Vreceived by the power conversion circuitis within the proper range. The detecting circuitmay be coupled between the controllerand the second terminaland configured to detect whether the output voltage Vout across an output capacitor Cout and/or the output current Iout is within the proper range. It would be appreciated that the arrangements of the detecting circuit(s),, andare merely by examples and not meant to limit the present disclosure. In various embodiments, the detecting circuit(s),, andmay output the fault signal FS according to a detection of the input voltage Vin, the output voltage Vout, a charge pump capacitor voltage, an input current Iin, an output current Iout, a thermal value, a soft-start timeout, or any other suitable signals or events.

140 140 140 130 110 102 120 140 140 140 100 100 100 110 110 a b c a b c Accordingly, in response to the fault signal FS outputted by any of the detecting circuit(s),, and, the controllermay output the control signal CS to turn off the bidirectional disconnection switch within the protection circuit, blocking the current path and the power flow between the first terminaland the power conversion circuitin both directions. For example, the detecting circuit(s),, andmay be used to determine whether the current flow or the voltage levels in the power converterare within a safe range. When the current flow exceeds one or more safe levels in either the forward or the reverse direction, or the input or output voltage is out of a safe range (e.g., under voltage or over voltage), the bidirectional disconnection switch is turned off accordingly to protect the power converter. In addition, during a start-up or an initialization stage, the power convertermay also keep the switch within the protection circuitoff, if an unsafe or undesired reverse power-flow would occur and flow from the output side back to the input side when the switch within the protection circuitis turned on.

3 FIG. 3 FIG. 112 110 112 310 320 310 320 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 310 320 1 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary switching deviceimplemented in the protection circuit, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in, in some embodiments, the switching deviceincludes two power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) devicesand. The power MOSFET devicesandhave their body diodes Dand Dcoupled in anti-series connection. The “anti-series connection” may indicate that either the anode terminals of the body diodes Dand Dare coupled to each other, or the cathode terminals of the body diodes Dand Dare coupled to each other. Accordingly, the body diodes Dand Dmay have opposite forward directions. When the power MOSFET devicesandare both off, the body diode Dblocks the current in one direction, and the body diode Dblocks the current in the other direction.

310 320 112 100 310 320 310 320 310 320 130 1 FIG. 1 FIG. By this back-to-back configuration of power MOSFET devicesand, the switching devicecan block the power flow in both directions between the input terminal and the output terminal of the power converterof, and prevent potential damages caused in the fault conditions. In some embodiments, gate terminals of the power MOSFET devicesandmay be electrically coupled to each other and configured to receive the control signal CS, so the power MOSFET devicesandcan be controlled at the same time, but the present disclosure is not limited to this particular arrangement. In some other embodiments, the power MOSFET devicesandmay be controlled independently by separate signals from a controller (e.g., the controllerin).

310 320 310 320 310 320 In some embodiments, the power MOSFET devicesandmay be MOSFET devices with different power/voltage ratings, while in some other embodiments, the power MOSFET devicesandmay be MOSFET devices with the same power/voltage rating. Moreover, the power MOSFET devicesandmay also have different parameters, such as on-resistances, sizes, etc.

112 112 310 320 310 320 310 320 4 4 FIGS.A-I 4 FIG.A 4 FIG.B 4 FIG.A 4 FIG.B In addition, different types of MOSFET devices may be used and different arrangements may be applied to achieve the switching devicewith a back-to-back configuration.respectively illustrate exemplary switching devicesimplemented by different types of MOSFET devices, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown inand, in some embodiments, the power MOSFET devicesandare both n-type MOSFET devices. In, the n-type MOSFET devicesandmay be back-to-back connected in a common source configuration, in which the source terminals S of the MOSFETs are coupled to each other. In, the n-type MOSFET devicesandmay be back-to-back connected in a common drain configuration, in which the drain terminals D of the MOSFETs are coupled to each other.

4 FIG.C 4 FIG.D 4 FIG.C 4 FIG.D 310 320 310 320 310 320 As shown inand, in some embodiments, the power MOSFET devicesandmay be both p-type MOSFET devices. In, the p-type MOSFET devicesandmay be back-to-back connected in a common drain configuration, in which the drain terminals D of the MOSFETs are coupled to each other. In, the p-type MOSFET devicesandmay be back-to-back connected in a common source configuration, in which the source terminals S of the MOSFETs are coupled to each other.

4 FIG.E 4 FIG.H 4 FIG.E 4 FIG.F 4 FIG.G 4 FIG.H 4 FIG.E 4 FIG.F 4 FIG.I 112 112 410 420 430 440 410 420 430 440 As shown into, in some embodiments, the switching devicemay be realized by one p-type MOSFET device and one n-type MOSFET device. For example, in, the drain terminal of the p-type MOSFET device may be coupled to the source terminal of the n-type MOSFET device to achieve the back-to-back configuration with body diodes coupled in anti-series connection. In, the source terminal of the p-type MOSFET device may be coupled to the drain terminal of the n-type MOSFET device to achieve the back-to-back configuration with body diodes coupled in anti-series connection. It would be appreciated that the placement order of the p-type MOSFET device and the n-type MOSFET device in the series connection can be changed, as shown inand, which are identical topologies to the embodiments ofand. As shown in, in some embodiments, the switching devicemay include three or more switches,,andelectrically coupled in series, in which body diodes of the switches,,andare coupled in anti-series connection.

5 FIG.A 5 FIG.A 5 FIG.B 5 FIG.C 112 110 112 510 520 520 510 520 is a diagram illustrating another exemplary switching deviceimplemented in the protection circuit, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in, in some embodiments, the switching devicemay include a power MOSFET devicewith a body bias selecting circuit. The body bias selecting circuitmay be configured to bias a body terminal of the power MOSFET device.andrespectively illustrate the n-type and p-type power MOSFET devices with the body bias selecting circuit, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

5 FIG.B 510 520 518 512 514 520 522 524 512 514 522 518 512 524 518 514 512 514 512 514 522 518 512 524 518 514 512 514 518 512 514 As shown in, when the power MOSFET deviceis a n-type MOSFET device, the body bias selecting circuitmay be configured to selectively connect the body terminalto a source or drain terminalorhaving a lower voltage. For example, the body bias selecting circuitmay include switchesand. When the voltage level of the first terminalis lower than the voltage level of the second terminal, the switchcoupled between the body terminaland the first terminalis on, and the switchcoupled between the body terminaland the second terminalis off. Accordingly, a reverse bias across the diode present between the source and the drain terminals,may be maintained. Similarly, when the voltage level of the first terminalis higher than the voltage level of the second terminal, the switchcoupled between the body terminaland the first terminalis off, and the switchcoupled between the body terminaland the second terminalis on, which can maintain the reverse bias across the diode present between the source and the drain terminals,. In some other embodiments, it may also be possible to connect the body terminalto a most negative node, such as a system ground, on to maintain the reverse bias across the diode present between the source and the drain terminals,.

5 FIG.C 510 520 518 512 514 512 514 522 518 512 524 518 514 512 514 522 518 512 524 518 514 512 514 510 As shown in, when the power MOSFET deviceis a p-type MOSFET device, the body bias selecting circuitis configured to selectively connect the body terminalto a source or drain terminalorhaving a higher voltage. For example, when the voltage level of the first terminalis higher than the voltage level of the second terminal, the switchcoupled between the body terminaland the first terminalmay be on, and the switchcoupled between the body terminaland the second terminalmay be off. When the voltage level of the first terminalis lower than the voltage level of the second terminal, the switchcoupled between the body terminaland the first terminalmay be off, and the switchcoupled between the body terminaland the second terminalmay be on. Accordingly, the reverse bias across the diode present between the source and the drain terminals,can be maintained by the power MOSFET devicethrough the body bias.

6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B 6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B 112 110 112 610 610 612 1 112 614 2 112 610 andare diagrams illustrating another exemplary switching deviceimplemented in the protection circuit, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown inand, in some embodiments, the switching devicemay include a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switch. The MEMS switchincludes a first contactcoupled to a first end Tof the switching device, and a second contactcoupled to a second end Tof the switching device. The MEMS switchmay be configured to be switched between an on state (e.g., a “close” state) and an off state (e.g., an “open” state) in response to the control signal CS.

6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B 6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B 610 614 612 610 614 612 610 112 illustrates the MEMS switchin the on state, in which the second contactis electrically coupled to the first contact.illustrates the MEMS switchin the off state, in which the second contactis electrically isolated from the first contact. The MEMS switchcan be switched from the first state shown into the second state shown inin response to the control signal CS, in order to disconnect the two ends of the switching deviceand thus blocks current in both directions.

610 112 110 616 610 618 614 612 614 610 616 618 612 614 6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B 6 FIG.B In some embodiments, the MEMS switchmay be an electrostatic MEMS switch, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Various types of the MEMS switch may be used as the switching deviceimplemented in the protection circuit. In the embodiments shown inand, when a sufficient DC voltage is applied to a control gate electrodeof the MEMS switch, an electrostatic force may be generated, causing a suspended electrodeto bend downward, meeting the second contactbelow. Thus, the first contactand the second contactmay be connected, which permits current to flow across the MEMS switch. On the other hand, when no voltage is applied to the control gate electrode, the suspended electrodemay remain at rest, and the first contactand the second contactmay be disconnected, in the off state shown in.

6 FIG.C 6 FIG.C 6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B 600 610 110 620 616 610 100 610 620 610 is a diagram illustrating a power converterhaving the MEMS switchimplemented in the protection circuit, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in, a high voltage charge pump circuitmay be electrically connected to the control gate electrodeof the MEMS switchand configured to output a driving voltage VD (e.g.,V) based on a power source VDD to generate the electrostatic force sufficient to cause the MEMS switchto be operated in the on state as shown in. When the corresponding signal CS is received, the high voltage charge pump circuitmay be configured to stop supplying the driving voltage VD, so that the MEMS switchis in the off state as shown in.

112 110 112 112 112 3 FIG. 6 FIG.C It would be appreciated that, in various embodiments, other types of switches may also be applied to implement the switching devicein the protection circuit, the embodiments illustrated in-are examples and not meant to limit the present disclosure. For example, in some other embodiments, the switching devicemay also include one or more of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) power device, a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device, a GaN device, a junction gate field-effect transistor (JFET) device, or a metal semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) device. These types of transistor devices may function as bidirectional power switches having fast response time, and do not provide a reverse current path in an off state. In addition, the switching devicemay also be implemented by any combination of the switching components mentioned above. As discussed above, in various applications, the switching components forming the switching devicemay have different power/voltage ratings, on-resistances, sizes, etc.

7 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 FIG. 6 FIG.C 700 100 700 110 112 114 112 102 120 114 104 120 112 114 130 114 104 120 114 112 is a block diagram illustrating a power converter, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Compared to the power converterofand, in the power converter, the protection circuitmay include multiple switching devicesandarranged at different locations. For example, one switching deviceis coupled between the first terminaland the input node of the power conversion circuit, and another switching deviceis coupled between the second terminaland the output node of the power conversion circuit. Similar to the switching device, the switching devicemay be a bidirectional disconnection switch and configured to, in response to the control signal CS from the controller, block the power flow in both directions. Alternatively stated, the switching deviceis configured to open the current path between the second terminaland the output node of the power conversion circuitin response to the control signal CS. The circuit configurations and/or components used to realize the switching deviceare similar to those used to realize the switching device, which have been discussed in detail inthrough.

112 114 120 110 120 102 104 120 The switching devicesandat both the high voltage side and the low voltage side of the power conversion circuitmay provide backup redundancy protection for the protection circuit, and further guarantee that when an abnormal condition is detected, the power conversion circuitis electrically disconnected from the first terminaland the second terminal, so no undesired current flows into the power conversion circuit.

8 FIG.A 7 FIG. 1 FIG. 8 FIG.A 1 FIG. 700 120 0 4 1 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating an exemplary circuit configuration of the power converterof, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Similar to the embodiments of, in the embodiments of, the power conversion circuitcan be a Dickson charge pump using switches SW-SW, SWA-SWD to control the connection of the supply voltage across the load through capacitors C-C. The Dickson charge pump may operate as discussed previously in relation to.

120 112 114 700 8 FIG.B 8 FIG.D 7 FIG. In some embodiments, the power conversion circuitand the switching devicesand/ormay share one or more power switches to further reduce the cost and/or the chip area for the circuit design.toare circuit diagrams illustrating different exemplary circuit configurations of the power converterof, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

8 FIG.A 8 FIG.B 8 FIG.B 8 FIG.B 8 FIG.C 112 1122 4 1122 4 4 1122 4 1122 4 1122 4 1122 4 1122 4 4 112 120 For example, compared to the embodiments of, in the circuit configuration shown in, the switching devicemay include a power MOSFET deviceand one of the switches (e.g., switch SW) in the switching network. Particularly, the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SWcan be on or off at the same time. As shown in, the switch SWis also implemented by a MOSFET device, and body diodes of the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SWare coupled in anti-series connection. Accordingly, when the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SWare both off, the body diodes in the back-to-back configuration block the current in both directions. As shown in, the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SWmay share the source so that a single gate-driver can be provided for driving gates of the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SW, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other alternative embodiments, the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SWmay share the drains to achieve the anti-series connection. In some other embodiments, the switch SWin the first stage of the switching network may also be replaced by a bidirectional disconnection switch. Accordingly, the bidirectional disconnection switch can work as the protecting switch during the fault conditions, and also work as the switching element in the charge pump under normal operation. For example, as shown in the circuit configuration in, the switching devicemay be merged and integrated within the power conversion circuitand achieve bidirectional blocking.

8 FIG.D 8 FIG.B 8 FIG.D 114 1142 1144 1146 0 112 114 120 0 1142 0 1144 1146 120 114 In the circuit configuration shown in, the switching devicemay include power MOSFET devices,, and, and the switches SW, SWA, and SWC in the switching network. Similar to the switching deviceof, the switching devicemay be merged into the power conversion circuitby sharing the switches SW, SWA, and SWC. In, the body diodes of the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SW, which are on or off together, may form a back-to-back configuration in anti-series connection. The body diodes of the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SWC, which are on or off together, may form a back-to-back configuration in anti-series connection. The body diodes of the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SWA, which are on or off together, may form a back-to-back configuration in anti-series connection. Accordingly, the circuit may prevent current from flowing through the power conversion circuitin both directions by the switching device.

9 FIG.A 9 FIG.B 7 FIG. 900 900 700 900 900 110 116 120 112 114 116 130 116 112 114 a b a b andare block diagrams illustrating power convertersand, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Compared to the power converterof, in the power convertersand, the protection circuitmay further include another switching devicearranged and coupled between the power conversion circuitand the ground terminal. Similar to the switching devicesand, the switching devicemay also be a bidirectional disconnection switch and configured to, in response to the control signal CS from the controller, block the power flow in both directions. The circuit configurations and/or components used to realize the switching devicemay be similar to those used to realize the switching devicesand.

116 120 130 112 114 116 110 112 114 116 120 During normal operations, the switching devicemay be on and permit the power flow between the power conversion circuitand the ground terminal GND. When a fault occurs, the controllermay output the corresponding control signal CS to one or more of the switching devices,, andin the protection circuitto turn off switching devices,, andand may prevent any undesired current flows through the power conversion circuitin both directions.

9 FIG.A 9 FIG.B 120 116 102 104 114 104 900 112 102 120 102 104 114 116 110 b For example, in the embodiments shown in, when the input voltage Vin is shorted, the capacitors within the power conversion circuitmay be prevented from discharging by turning off the switching devicecoupled to the ground, and the current may be prevented from flowing between the first terminaland the second terminalby turning off the switching devicecoupled to the second terminal. In the embodiments shown in, when the input voltage Vin is shorted, the power convertermay turn off the switching devicecoupled to the first terminal, which may prevent the capacitors within the power conversion circuitfrom discharging, and may also prevent the current from flowing between the first terminaland the second terminal. Switching devicesandmay also be off to provide backup redundancy protection for the protection circuit.

10 FIG.A 9 FIG.B 10 FIG.A 10 FIG.A 900 120 0 4 1 4 116 116 900 120 b b is a circuit diagram illustrating an exemplary circuit configuration of the power converterof, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the embodiments shown in, the power conversion circuitcan be a Dickson charge pump using switches SW-SW, SWA-SWD to control the connection of the supply voltage across the load through capacitors C-C. As shown in, the switching devicemay be electrically connected between the ground terminal and a node connecting the switches SWB and SWD. In response to the control signal CS, the switching devicemay be configured to open the current path between the ground terminal GND and the switching network. Accordingly, the power convertermay prevent the current from flowing through the power conversion circuitvia the ground terminal GND in both directions.

120 116 900 116 1162 1164 112 116 120 1162 1164 900 120 116 10 FIG.B 9 FIG.B 10 FIG.A 10 FIG.B 8 FIG.B 8 FIG.D 10 FIG.B b b In some embodiments, the power conversion circuitand the switching devicemay also share one or more power switches to further reduce the cost and/or the chip area for the circuit design.is a circuit diagram illustrating another exemplary circuit configuration of the power converterof, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, compared to the embodiments of, in the circuit configuration shown in, the switching devicemay include power MOSFET devicesandand the switches SWB and SWD within the switching network. Similar to the switching deviceofand the switching circuit device of, the switching devicecan be merged into the power conversion circuitby sharing the switches SWB and SWD. In, the body diodes of the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SWD, which are switched on or off together, may form a back-to-back configuration in anti-series connection. The body diodes of the power MOSFET deviceand the switch SWB, which are switched on or off together, may form another back-to-back configuration in anti-series connection. Accordingly, the power convertermay prevent the current from flowing through the power conversion circuitin both directions by controlling the switching device, which may be implemented by multiple power switches.

11 FIG. 11 FIG. 140 4 120 2 3 4 120 is a circuit diagram illustrating an exemplary detecting circuitapplied to the detection of a fault condition on the capacitor Cin the power conversion circuit, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, a similar circuit can be used to monitor the voltages on each of the capacitors C, Cand C, or used to monitor the input voltage Vin or the output voltage Vout. Again, while a 5:1 step-down Dickson charge pump is depicted as the power conversion circuitin the embodiments of, in some other embodiments, a step-up configuration can be applied to all possible charge pump ratios and to the Series-Parallel charge pump topology.

11 FIG. 140 1 2 142 144 5 1 2 144 4 1 144 2 144 144 4 142 144 5 140 1 2 5 1 2 1 2 As shown in, the detecting circuitmay include resistors Rand R, a switch, a PMOS device, a filtering capacitor C, and comparators CMPand CMP. In some embodiments, the PMOS devicemay be selected to operate at the higher voltage across C. The resistor Rmay be electrically coupled between the first terminal of the capacitor C4 and a source terminal of the PMOS device. The resistor Rmay be electrically coupled between the ground terminal and a drain terminal of the PMOS device. A Gate terminal of the PMOS devicemay be electrically coupled to the second terminal of the capacitor C. The switchmay be electrically coupled between the drain terminal of the PMOS deviceand the first terminal of the filtering capacitor Cin the detecting circuit. A positive input terminal of the comparator CMPand a negative input terminal of the comparator CMPmay also be electrically coupled to the first terminal of the filtering capacitor Cto receive the sampled signal. A negative input terminal of the comparator CMPand a positive input terminal of the comparator CMPmay be respectively configured to receive an over-voltage reference voltage Vrefand an under-voltage reference voltage Vref, which are the threshold voltages for determining whether an over-voltage fault or an under-voltage fault occurs.

1 1 4 144 2 2 1 2 2 2 4 142 5 2 2 1 2 1 2 Generally, the current Ithrough the resistor Rmay be roughly proportional to the voltage across the capacitor C, with the error of the source-gate voltage of the PMOS device. Current Ithrough the resistor Rmay be substantially identical to the current I. By properly selecting the value of the resistor R, the voltage Vacross the resistor Rmay roughly provide a sampling signal of the voltage across the capacitor Cand can be scaled down as desired. The switch, along with the filtering capacitor C, may be used to allow a detection of the voltage Vwhen the switch SWC is on (as the voltage Vmay be forced to be the ground voltage when the switch SWD is on). Comparators CMPand CMP, along with the reference voltages Vrefand Vref, may form a “window comparator.” An over-voltage fault signal OV or an under-voltage fault signal UV being asserted may indicate a fault condition, which may then trigger one or several of the protection mechanisms implemented.

140 130 130 112 110 140 1 4 For example, when the detecting circuitthat is electrically coupled to the controlleroutputs one or more fault signals (e.g., the over-voltage fault signal OV or the under-voltage fault signal UV) when the fault occurs, the controllermay be configured to output the corresponding control signal CS in response to the one or more fault signals to turn off the switching devicein the protection circuit. In various embodiments, the detecting circuitmay output the fault signal(s) according to different signals, such as the input voltage Vin, the output voltage Vout, the charge pump capacitor voltage (e.g., a voltage across any one of the capacitors C-C), the input current, the output current, a thermal value, or a soft-start timeout. Alternatively stated, the fault signal(s) may include an input under-voltage signal, an input over-voltage signal, an output under-voltage signal, an output over-voltage signal, a thermal shutdown signal, an input or output over-current signal, a timeout signal, or a charge pump capacitor under-voltage or over-voltage signal, but the present disclosure is not limited to these specific types of fault signals, and other types of signals may be used in conjunction with the disclosed embodiments.

12 FIG. 12 FIG. 140 140 3 4 5 3 4 3 4 5 104 is a circuit diagram illustrating another exemplary detecting circuitapplied to the detection of a fault condition on the output voltage Vout, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a similar circuit can be used to monitor the input voltage Vin. As shown in, the detecting circuitmay include resistors R, R, and R, and comparators CMPand CMP. The resistors R, R, and Rmay be electrically connected in series between the second terminalfor outputting the output voltage Vout and the ground.

3 4 5 3 4 5 4 5 3 4 3 4 5 3 3 3 4 By properly selecting the value of the resistors R, R, and R, the voltage Vacross the resistors Rand R, and the voltage Vacross the resistor R, can be obtained. The voltages Vand Vmay both be scaled down sampling signals of the output voltage Vout. For example, the value of the resistors R, R, and Rmay be selected to ensure that the sampled voltage Vis greater than a reference voltage Vref(e.g., around 1.2V), and the reference voltage Vrefis greater than the sampled voltage Vwhen the output voltage Vout is within the normal operating range.

3 4 3 1 2 4 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 140 12 FIG. A positive input terminal of the comparator CMPand a negative input terminal of the comparator CMPare configured to receive the reference voltage Vref, which is the threshold voltage for determining whether an over-voltage fault or an under-voltage fault occurs. A negative input terminal of the comparator CMPand a positive input terminal of the comparator CMPare respectively coupled to two terminals of the resistor Rand configured to receive voltages Vand V. Accordingly, when the output voltage Vout rises and exceeds a predetermined safety value, the rising sampled voltage Vmay exceed the reference voltage Vref3 and may trigger the output terminal of the comparator CMPto output an Over Voltage Lockout signal OVLO. Similarly, when the output voltage Vout drops under a predetermined safety value, the falling sampled voltage Vmay drop to be lower than the reference voltage Vref, and may trigger the output terminal of the comparator CMPto output an Under Voltage Lockout signal UVLO. Thus, the detecting circuitinmay be configured to output the fault signals when a fault occurs on the output voltage Vout.

It should be appreciated that various types of detecting circuits or sensors may be applied for the fault detection, such as a temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature of the power converter. In some embodiments, the detecting circuits may further be configured to detect the fault level, or whether the fault is cleared, and output a corresponding signal to trigger different operations, such as automatic latch-off, auto restart/reset, etc. For example, these operations may be set in response to the fault conditions by one or more digital bits in the fault signals.

13 FIG. 13 FIG. 1 10 FIGS.-B 1300 1300 1300 100 700 900 900 1300 a b is a flowchart of a methodfor protecting a power converter, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. It is understood that additional operations may be performed before, during, and/or after the methoddepicted in, and that some other processes may only be briefly described herein. The methodcan be performed by circuits and components in a charge pump power converter, e.g., the power converters,,andillustrated in any of, but the present disclosure is not limited to these particular circuits, and the methodmay be performed with other circuits.

1310 1300 1310 120 102 104 1 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 FIG. In operation, the methodmay convert an input voltage to an output voltage. In some embodiments, operationmay include a charge pump power converter (e.g., the power conversion circuitin) converting an input voltage Vin received from a first terminal (e.g., the first terminalin) to an output voltage, and providing the output voltage on a second terminal (e.g., the second terminalin).

1320 1300 1320 140 11 FIG. 12 FIG. In operation, the methodmay determine whether a fault has occurred. In some embodiments, operationmay include one or more detecting circuits (e.g., detection circuitinor) monitoring the operations of the power converter and determines whether a fault occurs. For example, the detecting circuit(s) may detect voltage signals, current signals, thermal values, or soft-start timeout event of the power converter. In some embodiments, a microcontroller or processor may receive information from one or more sensors and include logic to evaluate whether the received sensor data corresponds to a fault state. For example, a processor may include predefined values or combinations of values for voltage, current, temperate, and/or timeout data defining when a fault state occurs. The processor may compare the data to the predefined conditions to determine whether the data matches with that preprogrammed as a fault state. In other examples, a processor may compare the sensor data to given limits, and when a certain number of limits are exceeded (e.g., voltage above 30 volts and temperature above 150 degrees Fahrenheit).

1320 1300 1310 1320 1320 1300 1330 If no fault occurs (operation- No), the methodmay proceed with the power converter repeating operationsand. When a fault is detected (operation- Yes), the methodmay proceed to operation, which may include the detecting circuit(s) outputting a fault signal. For example, the fault signal can be generated according to the detection of the input voltage, the output voltage, the charge pump capacitor voltage, the input current, the output current, the thermal value, the soft-start timeout, or any combination thereof.

1340 1300 1340 130 110 1330 1340 1300 114 116 900 112 114 116 900 1340 1 FIG. 1 FIG. a b In operation, the methodmay include outputting a control signal. In some embodiments operationmay include a controller (e.g., the controllerin) outputting a control signal to a protection circuit (e.g., the protection circuitin) in response to the fault signal received from the detecting circuit(s). For example, disclosed embodiments may receive the fault signal generated in operationand, based on the fault signal, may generate and send a control signal to appropriate protection circuitry. In some embodiments, operationmay include identifying particular protection circuitry to which the control signal should be sent. For example, methodmay be used in conjunction with circuits having multiple protection elements (e.g., switching devicesandin power converter, switching devices,, andin power converter), and operationmay include identifying which switches to direct the control signal.

1350 In operation, the protection circuit electrically coupled to the power conversion circuit blocks the power flow in both directions, in response to the control signal outputted by the controller. Alternatively stated, the protection circuit blocks the power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal and the power flow from the second terminal to the first terminal.

In some embodiments, when an output over-voltage occurs and is detected, the power flow is blocked to avoid the energy flowing back to the input, until the output voltage returns to a safe level. For example, after the activation of the protection circuit, the load may continue to discharge the energy from the power converter with the switching charge-pump circuit, so that the output voltage and voltages within the charge-pump circuit fall accordingly back to proper voltage levels. When the output voltage is sufficiently low and would not cause the backflow current, the power converter may resume its normal operation and engage the power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal again, as the control signal is released.

By the operations described above, the protection circuit can block the current path in both directions, to protect components in the power conversion circuit, and also protect upstream components in the previous stage before the power converter and downstream components in the next stage following the power converter. Accordingly, the power converter can avoid potential damages under fault conditions, such as the current flow exceeding one or more safe levels in either the forward or the reverse direction, or the input or output voltage rapidly changing and moving out of a safe range. In addition, during a start-up or an initialization stage, the power converter may also keep the switching device off if turning on the switching device would result in unsafe or undesired reverse power-flow flowing from the output side back to the input side.

1300 1300 Disclosed methods and processes (e.g., method) may be implemented in hardware, software instructions, or a combination of the two. In some embodiments, methodmay be implemented in fixed circuitry, such as with the circuitry discussed throughout this disclosure. In some embodiments, methods and process may be implemented through programmable instructions, such as volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, hard-coded media, and other mechanisms to store software instructions. In some embodiments, methods and process may be implemented in a combination of hardware and software. For example, fixed circuitry may be operated by a programmable controller. The controller may load instructions from on-board or off-board storage in order to control circuitry to collectively perform disclosed methods and process.

In the foregoing specification, embodiments have been described with reference to numerous specific details that can vary from implementation to implementation. Certain adaptations and modifications of the described embodiments can be made. Other embodiments can be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure disclosed herein. It is also intended that the sequence of steps shown in figures are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be limited to any particular sequence of steps. As such, those skilled in the art can appreciate that these steps can be performed in a different order while implementing the same method.

It is appreciated that certain features of the specification, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the specification, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination or as suitable in any other described embodiments of the specification. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements.

The embodiments may further be described using the following clauses:

1. A power converter, comprising:

a first terminal to receive an input voltage;

a second terminal to output an output voltage;

a charge pump power conversion circuit electrically coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, and to convert the input voltage to the output voltage; and

a protection circuit electrically coupled to the charge pump power conversion circuit, the protection circuit comprising a first switching device to, in response to a control signal, block a power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal, and from the second terminal to the first terminal.

2. The power converter of clause 1, wherein the first switching device comprises a first power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device and a second power MOSFET device having body diodes coupled in anti-series connection.

3. The power converter of clause 2, wherein the first power MOSFET device and the second power MOSFET device are MOSFET devices with different power ratings.

4. The power converter of clause 2 or 3, wherein the first power MOSFET device and the second power MOSFET device are both n-type MOSFET devices or both p-type MOSFET devices.

5. The power converter of any of clauses 2-4, wherein the first power MOSFET device and the second power MOSFET device are back-to-back connected in a common source configuration or in a common drain configuration.

6. The power converter of clause 1, wherein the first switching device comprises a first power MOSFET device with a body bias selecting circuit to bias a body terminal of the first power MOSFET device.

7. The power converter of clause 6, wherein the first power MOSFET device is a p-type MOSFET device, and the body bias selecting circuit is to selectively connect the body terminal to a source or drain terminal having a higher voltage.

8. The power converter of clause 6, wherein the first power MOSFET device is a n-type MOSFET device, and the body bias selecting circuit is to selectively connect the body terminal to a source or drain terminal having a lower voltage.

9. The power converter of clause 1, wherein the first switching device comprises:

a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switch to be switched from a first state to a second state in response to the control signal, the MEMS switch comprising:

a first contact coupled to a first end of the first switching device; and

a second contact coupled to a second end of the first switching device, the second contact being electrically coupled to the first contact in the first state, and being electrically isolated from the first contact in the second state.

10. The power converter of clause 1, wherein the first switching device comprises one or more of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) power device, a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device, a GaN device, a junction gate field-effect transistor (JFET) device, or a metal semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) device.

11. The power converter of any of clauses 1-10, wherein the first switching device is electrically coupled between the first terminal and the charge pump power conversion circuit or electrically coupled between the second terminal and the charge pump power conversion circuit.

12. The power converter of any of clauses 1-11, wherein the protection circuit further comprising:

a second switching device to, in response to the control signal, block the power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal, and from the second terminal to the first terminal,

wherein the first switching device is electrically coupled between the first terminal and the charge pump power conversion circuit, and the second switching device is electrically coupled between the second terminal and the charge pump power conversion circuit.

13. The power converter of any of clauses 1-11, wherein the protection circuit further comprising:

a second switching device electrically coupled between the charge pump power conversion circuit and a ground terminal and to, in response to the control signal, block the power flow between the charge pump power conversion circuit and the ground terminal.

14. The power converter of any of clauses 1-13, further comprising:

a controller to output the control signal to the protection circuit in response to a fault signal,

wherein the fault signal comprises an input under-voltage signal, an input over-voltage signal, an output under-voltage signal, an output over-voltage signal, a thermal shutdown signal, an input or output over-current signal, a timeout signal, or a charge pump capacitor under-voltage or over-voltage signal.

15. The power converter of clause 14, where the fault signal comprises a combination of two or more of: the input under-voltage signal, the input over-voltage signal, the output under-voltage signal, the output over-voltage signal, the thermal shutdown signal, the input or output over-current signal, the timeout signal, or the charge pump capacitor under-voltage or over-voltage signal.

16. The power converter of clause 14 or 15, further comprising:

one or more detecting circuits electrically coupled to the controller and to output the fault signal according to a detection of the input voltage, the output voltage, a charge pump capacitor voltage, an input current, an output current, a thermal value, or a soft-start timeout.

17. A power converter, comprising:

a controller to implement a deadtime interval based, at least in part on one or more timing signals, and to output a control signal in response to a detection of a fault, to block a power flow in either direction between a first terminal of the power converter and a second terminal of the power converter; and

a switched-capacitor network electrically coupled to the controller and to convert a first voltage at the first terminal to a second voltage at the second terminal, the switched-capacitor network comprising:

a plurality of switches to switch between a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein the controller controls the plurality of switches to connect a plurality of capacitors to form a first capacitor network in the first configuration, and to form a second capacitor network in the second configuration.

18. The power converter of clause 17, further comprising:

a first switching device electrically coupled to the first terminal or the second terminal, and to open a current path between the switched-capacitor network and the first terminal or the second terminal in response to the control signal,

wherein the first switching device comprises at least one of the plurality of switches in the switched-capacitor network.

19. The power converter of clause 18, further comprising:

a second switching device coupled to a ground terminal and to open a current path between the ground terminal and the switched-capacitor network in response to the control signal, wherein the second switching device comprises at least one of the plurality of switches in the switched-capacitor network.

20. The power converter of any of clauses 17-19, wherein the plurality of switches comprises:

a first power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device and a second power MOSFET device having body diodes coupled in anti-series connection and to open a current path between the first terminal and the second terminal in response to the control signal.

21. The power converter of clause 20, wherein the plurality of switches comprises:

a third power MOSFET device and a fourth power MOSFET device having body diodes coupled in anti-series connection and to open a current path between the first terminal and a ground terminal in response to the control signal.

22. The power converter of any of clauses 17-21, further comprising:

one or more detecting circuits electrically coupled to the controller and to output one or more fault signals when the fault occurs according to the first voltage, the second voltage, a charge pump capacitor voltage, an input current, an output current, a thermal value, or a soft-start timeout,

wherein the controller is to output the control signal in response to the one or more fault signals.

23. The power converter of clause 22, wherein the one or more fault signals comprises an input under-voltage signal, an input over-voltage signal, an output under-voltage signal, an output over-voltage signal, a thermal shutdown signal, an input or output over-current signal, a timeout signal, or a charge pump capacitor under-voltage or over-voltage signal.

24. A power converter, comprising:

a power conversion circuit comprising a first, second, and third terminals, and to convert a first voltage received from at least one of the first, second, and third terminals to a second voltage outputted at least of one of the first, second, third terminals of the power converter;

two or more switching circuits electrically coupled to the power conversion circuit and to provide or block a bidirectional current path between one of the first, second, and third terminals and another one of the first, second, and third terminals according to a control signal in response to a fault; and

one or more detecting circuits electrically coupled to the one of the first, second, and third terminals and to detect whether the fault occurs.

25. The power converter of clause 24, wherein the two or more switching circuits comprise a pair of power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) devices having body diodes coupled in anti-series connection.

26. The power converter of clause 24, wherein the two or more switching circuits comprise a first power MOSFET device with a body bias selecting circuit to bias a body terminal of the first power MOSFET device.

27. The power converter of clause 24, wherein the two or more switching circuits comprise a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switch to be switched between an on state and an off state in response to the control signal.

28. The power converter of clause 24, wherein the two or more switching circuits comprise one or more of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) power device, a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device, a GaN device, a junction gate field-effect transistor (JFET) device, or a metal semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) device.

29. The power converter of any of clauses 24-28, wherein the two or more switching circuits comprise:

a first switching device electrically coupled between the power conversion circuit and the one of the first, second, and third terminals and to disconnect the power conversion circuit from the one of the first, second, and third terminals in response to the fault; and

a second switching device electrically coupled between the power conversion circuit and the another one of the first, second, and third terminals and to disconnect the power conversion circuit from the another one of the first, second, and third terminals in response to the fault.

30. The power converter of clause 29, wherein the two or more switching circuits comprises:

a third switching device electrically coupled between the power conversion circuit and yet another one of the first, second, and third terminals and to disconnect the power conversion circuit from the yet another one of the first, second, and third terminals in response to the fault.

31. The power converter of any of clauses 24-30, wherein the power conversion circuit and one of the two or more switching circuits share at least one power switch.

32. The power converter of any of clauses 24-31, wherein the power conversion circuit comprises a switched-capacitor network, the switched-capacitor network comprising:

a plurality of switches to switch between a first configuration and a second configuration; and

a plurality of capacitors forming a first capacitor network in response to the first configuration of the plurality of switches, and forming a second capacitor network in response to the second configuration of the plurality of switches.

33. A method for protecting a charge pump power conversion circuit that receives first voltage from a first terminal and provides a second voltage on a second terminal, comprising:

converting, by the charge pump power conversion circuit, the first voltage to the second voltage; and

in response to a control signal, blocking, by a protection circuit electrically coupled to the charge pump power conversion circuit, a power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal and from the second terminal to the first terminal.

34. The method of clause 33, further comprising:

outputting the control signal to the protection circuit in response to a fault signal,

wherein the fault signal comprises an input under-voltage signal, an input over-voltage signal, an output under-voltage signal, an output over-voltage signal, a thermal shutdown signal, an input or output over-current signal, a timeout signal, or a charge pump capacitor under-voltage or over-voltage signal.

35. The method of clause 34, where the fault signal comprises a combination of two or more of: the input under-voltage signal, the input over-voltage signal, the output under-voltage signal, the output over-voltage signal, the thermal shutdown signal, the input or output over-current signal, the timeout signal, or the charge pump capacitor under-voltage or over-voltage signal.

36. The method of clause 34 or 35, further comprising:

outputting the fault signal according to a detection of the first voltage, the second voltage, a charge pump capacitor voltage, an input current, an output current, a thermal value, or a soft-start timeout.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.